Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window units typically include at least two spaced apart glass substrates that enclose an evacuated low-pressure space/cavity therebetween. The substrates are interconnected by a peripheral edge seal and typically include spacers between the glass substrates to maintain spacing between the glass substrates and to avoid collapse of the glass substrates that may be caused due to the low pressure evacuated environment that exists between the substrates. Some example VIG configurations are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,657,607, 5,664,395, 5,657,607, 5,902,652, 6,506,472 and 6,383,580 the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional VIG window unit 1 and elements that form the VIG window unit 1. For example, VIG unit 1 may include two spaced apart substantially parallel glass substrates 2, 3, which enclose an evacuated low-pressure space/cavity 6 therebetween. Glass sheets or substrates 2, 3 are interconnected by a peripheral edge seal 4 which may be made of fused solder glass, for example. An array of support pillars/spacers 5 may be included between the glass substrates 2, 3 to maintain the spacing of glass substrates 2, 3 of the VIG unit 1 in view of the low-pressure space/gap 6 present between the substrates 2, 3.
A pump-out tube 8 may be hermetically sealed by, for example, solder glass 9 to an aperture/hole 10 that passes from an interior surface of one of the glass substrates 2 to the bottom of an optional recess 11 in the exterior surface of the glass substrate 2, or optionally to the exterior surface of the glass substrate 2. A vacuum is attached to pump-out tube 8 to evacuate (e.g., pump-down) the interior cavity 6 to a low pressure that is less than atmospheric pressure. After evacuation of the cavity 6, a portion (e.g., the tip) of the tube 8 is melted to seal the vacuum in low pressure cavity/space 6. The optional recess 11 may retain the sealed pump-out tube 8.
As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a getter 12 may be included within a recess 13 that is disposed in an interior face of one of the glass substrates, e.g., glass substrate 2. The getter 12 may be used to absorb and/or bind with certain residual impurities that may remain after the cavity 6 is evacuated and sealed. The getter is of or includes a mixture of metals that can react with gas(es) to hold gas(es) impurities to the gettering surface and/or dissolve such gas(es).
Disclosed herein are techniques for activating getters in a process of making VIG window units. In certain example embodiments, at least one getter is activated during and/or at the end of a pump-out process in which the cavity between the substrates is evacuated.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of making a vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window unit, the method comprising: having first and second substantially parallel glass substrates, a plurality of spacers and a seal provided between the first and second substrates, a cavity to be evacuated to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure located between the glass substrates, and at least one getter provided in the cavity; and activating the getter during and/or substantially at an end of an evacuation process in which the cavity is evacuated to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of making a vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window unit, the method comprising: having first and second substantially parallel glass substrates, an array of spacers and a seal provided between the first and second substrates, and a cavity to be evacuated to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure located between the glass substrates, and a getter supported by the first substrate; and directing a laser beam through a pump-out tube supported by the second substrate so that the laser beam impinges upon the getter and activates the getter.
These and other embodiments and advantages are described herein with respect to certain example embodiments and with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, and wherein: